Desks have been a commonplace item in schools for many years. One type of desk consists of a hard writing surface that is hingedly connected to a frame having a compartment designed to store books, paper or other school materials. Desks of this type are commonly used for kindergarten or elementary school children of young age and are useful in that a student can store his/her school materials thereby eliminating the need for an independent storage unit such as a school locker.
Desks of this type, however, are not without their drawbacks. One drawback is that young children are acutely susceptible to getting their fingers accidently caught between the desk top and the storage compartment when the desk top is closed. Further, young children are likely to "drop" the desk top rather than gently lowering the desk top onto the storage compartment thereby generating a loud noise which is often disturbing to other students and/or teachers.